nesting boxes?

[denam]

We have 8 hens, some of whom starting laying this past week. They will not leave any cover in the nesting boxes. I have tried shavings and hay, but they keep pulling it out to leave the bottom of the wooden box bare. What can I do to encourage leaving something soft there?

 

[snowflake]

I take the straw and push it down in the center and fluff on the sides to make a nest for them. have never had them scratch it all out.

 

[hipeatall]

My boxes have a 1ft x 3ft edge on the bottom and that helps keep everything in. I use hay on top of shavings... I really work the hay and kind of compress it down into a nest shape... they still kick some of the materials out... but most all of it stays in.

 

[bigspringshatchery]

I had the same problems with my hens. I would put straw and they would rake back everything and lay on the bare. And then I tried shavings and they completely scratched all it out. So I let them lay in the boxes without anything for a while. Then I put some shavings in this week and they left it in there. Maybe to help pack the boxes full and maybe that will keep them from scratching it all the way down to the bottom.

 

[admhotel]

I don't know if anybody else has tried this but I put a piece of old carpet down in my nesting boxes. The girls kept moving the hay around and they laying on the wood floor and I would get a cracked egg every once and a while. Now that the carpet is in there, no more cracked eggs!

 

[DurangoCal]

My hens were emptying out their boxes before they started laying. I added a lip to the front of the boxes and now that they are laying there is a lot less kicked out. Every few days I add a little more bedding-hay or shavings. They seem to prefer the hay. (I used a thin piece of wood about 2 inches high for the lip.)

 

[bigspringshatchery]

Quote:
I was just actually just thinking of trying this and see if it would help.

 

[mk4lh]

I use cardboard in my nesting boxes for the cushion,and then shavings on top of that. It's easier to clean if there is an accident in the nestbox. Just remove and replace

 

[eggcited2]

I've been reading about the carpet and cardboard some of you have added, and I was wondering about the really soft fake grass stuff? I have seen things made out of it, and am wondering if that could be cut to fit into a nest box and then could be taken out to clean. Maybe the fake grass might make them happy? And you could still add hay or shavings or what ever on top of it if you wanted or maybe leave it just the fake grass? Does that sound like something that would work?

 

[BankerJohn]

I use an old door mat that has the plastic green grass spikes to help with dirt removal from shoes. It kinda looks like astro-turf. I have no hay or straw in the nesting area other than this.